1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of electrical connectors. And more particularly, one embodiment of the present invention relates to an electrical connector embedded with conductive terminals for connecting a chip module to a printed circuit board.
2. General Background
Electrical connectors are widely used in various computer systems for forming electrical connection between two separate electrical interfaces, such as an electronic component and a printed circuit board. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, an electrical connector 100 basically includes an insulative housing 20 defining a number of passageways 22 and a number of conductive terminals 30 residing in corresponding passageways 22, respectively. The conductive terminal 30 includes a vertical securing section 32 received in the passageway 22 of the housing 20, a connecting portion 36 extending from the securing portion 32, a tail portion 34 extending from a lower end of the securing portion 32, and a transitional portion 35 formed between the tail portion 34 and the securing portion 32. The securing portion 32 defines a securing surface 322 and the transitional portion 35 is bent in a direction vertical to the securing surface 322. The transitional portion 35 can provide the terminal 30 with an elastic flexibility in a direction vertical to the printed circuit board, thereby preventing the terminal 30 from breaking due to lack of the elastic flexibility required in the vertical direction to the printed circuit board.
However, with the development of the chip module 40 forward high density and minimized size, the arrangement of terminals 30 received in the electrical connector is more and more compact. While the terminals bear greater and more complicate force, terminals with minimized size and greater flexibility are more and more needed. In the electrical connector described in above paragraph, a centerline that the transitional portion projects on a plane defined by the securing surface is M and the direction of the terminals inserted into the housing is Y. the centerline M is parallel to the Y direction. That is to say, the transitional portion of the terminal only provides a single directional flexibility vertical to the printed circuit board, which can not meet the need of multi-directional flexibility of the terminals.
Therefore, there is a heretofore unaddressed need in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.